BELL, ZEBULON, was born Nov. 18, 1799, in Gerrardstown, Berkley county, West Virginia. His grandfather, James Bell, was born and educated in Scotland. The exact date of his coming to America is unknown to his descendents. He landed in Philadelphia, and being a millwright, built a snuff mill in that city, said to have been the first machine of the kind in America. He went from Philadelphia to Frederick county, Va. According to traditions in the family, he must have been almost a Hercules in physical strength. In connection with his business as a millwright and miller, he is said to have carried nine bushels of wheat up three flights of stairs at a single load. James Bell was married in Scotland to Ellen Nelson. They brought two children with them to America, John and James. The latter, born March 18, 1770, in Scotland, was too young to remember crossing the Atlantic ocean. This would imply that they came before or during the Revolution. He married Margaret Fulton, a native of Chester county, Penn. She was of Irish descent. They settled in Gerrardstown, Berkley county, West Va., where they had nine children, three, only, of whom are living. John, born March 23, 1798, resides in Quincy, Logan county, Ohio. Launcelot, born Dec. 5, 1801, resides near Taylorville, Christian county, Illinois, and Zebulon, in age between the two latter, is the one whose name heads this sketch.

Zebulon Bell was married Sept. 20, 1821, in Gerrardstown, Berkley county, West Va., to Rachel Swingle, who was born Dec. 20, 1801, in the same county. They had five children there, and moved to Sangamon county, Ill., arriving May 6, 1834, in what is now Woodside township, west of Sugar creek, and six miles southeast of Springfield, where five children were born. Of their ten children--

BENONI, born July 24, 1822, in Berkley county, West Va., married in Sangamon county, March 21, 1847, to Eliza J. Wills. They had two living children. MARGARET C., born March 15, 1848, married, Nov. 25, 1868, to John M. Doake, who was born Oct. 3, 1844. They have three children, IVA, BENONI M. and MARY A., and reside six and a half miles southeast of springfield. WILLIAM S. resides with his father. Mrs. Eliza J. Bell died Jan. 22, 1857, and Mr. Bell was married Oct. 12, 1859, in Madison, Ind., to Mrs. Anna Settle, whose maiden name was Taylor. She was born Dec. 17, 1833, in Lancaster county, Penn. They had five children, three died in infancy. CHARLES E. was killed by the kick of a horse, July 31, 1873, in his fifth year. ADA H. resides with her parents. Benoni Bell and wife reside within half a mile of where his parents settled in 1834. It is six and a half miles southeast of Springfield.

JAMES T., born Dec. 15, 1823, in Berkley county, West Va., enlisted in Sangamon county, Aug. 27, 1862, for three years, in Co. E., 114 Ill. Inf., served his full term, was honorably discharged, and now resides near Fountain, Colorado.

MARIA C., born June 29, 1825, in Berkley county, Va., married in Sangamon county, July 1, 1847, to John Bell, who was born Jan. 28, 1813, in Pittsburg, Penn. They have one child, RACHEL A., born April 9, 1848, married John H. Shoup. See his name. John Bell and wife reside with their daughter, Mrs. Shoup, in Cotton Hill township.

JOHN W., born May 2, 1828, in Berkley county, Va., married in Sangamon county, to Sarah E. Gatton. They have seven children, viz: MARY C., SAMUEL L., JOHN W., ALICE J., RACHEL E., EMILY E. and CARY L., and reside near Fountain, Colorado.

ZEBULON N., born April 19, 1830, in West Virginia, brought up in Sangamon county, is unmarried, and resides in Christian county, near Old Rienzi, Sangamon county.

MARGARET E., born May 31, 1834, in Sangamon county, was married Feb. 23, 1857, to Andrew Anderson, who was born in Garrard county, Ky., April 29, 1832. They have seven children, ARABEL, AGNES M., RICHARD Y., ZEBULON J., MARY S., JAMES and RACHEL, and reside in Cotton Hill township.

LAUNCELOT, born March 17, 1837, in Sangamon county, went to Pike's Peak in 1860, married there, March 21, 1865, to Lydia E. Roberts, who was born in Bourbon county, Ky., Dec. 26, 1846. Of their children, MARY M., CLARINDA M., IVY FORREST, GEORGE S. and FLORA E. The two latter died young. Launcelot Bell and wife reside near Fountain, El Paso county, Colorado.

STEPHEN, born April 19, 1839, in Sangamon county, enlisted August 27, 1862, for three years, in Co. E., 114th Ill. Inf., was taken prisoner June 10, 1864, at the battle of Guntown, Miss. He spent four months in Andersonville prison pen, two weeks at Savannah, Ga., one month at Millen, Ga., and was exchanged at Savannah, Nov. 24, 1864. He rejoined his regiment, served full time, and was honorably discharged with the regiment. He was married in Sangamon county, Jan. 20, 1869, to Louisa L. Womack. They have three children, CORA G., MAY S. and JAMES E., and reside five miles south of Springfield.

An incident, said to have taken place in Andersonville prison, went the rounds of the papers at the time, but its truthfulness was doubted. It had almost passed from my mind, until it was revived by Stephen Bell, who says that he was an eye-witness to the breaking out of a spring of pure water, under circumstances that seemed almost miraculous. It is not necessary to repeat the description of the prison, as that has been so often done. It is well known that inside the stockade there was a line, sometimes imaginary, called the "dead-line." If a prisoner crossed that line approaching the stockade, he was almost sure to be shot dead. A stream of water ran through the stockade from north to south. All the offal and filth from the camp of the rebel guards entered the stream above the stockade, and that was the only supply of water for the prisoners. About 100 yards east of and on ground 15 or 20 feet above that dirty slough, and four or five feet inside the dead-line, or between that and the stockade, a stream of water spouted up ten or fifteen feet, where there was not the least appearance of water before. Troughs were put up, and it was conducted inside the prison bounds. It took place about two o'clock in the afternoon, on a bright day in August, 1864. There had been a heavy rain the day before, accompanied by a terrifie thunderstorm.

The torrents of water broke down the stockade where it crossed the slough. The opening was so wide that the rebel authorities feared the prisoners would attempt to escape. They caused cannon to be fired and their soldiers to shout and halloo, and make all the noise they could, and in every way present as great an appearance of force as possible. No effort was made to escape, the breach was mended, the waters subsided, the clouds passed away, and it was the next day, when all was bright and clear, that the stream of pure water spouted up from the earth. Stephen Bell says he was as near it at the time as any other person. He thinks that of the 28,000 prisoners confined there at the time, the larger portion of them regarded it as a direct interposition of Providence in their behalf. Each one had his own way of expressing his feelings, some of them neither refined nor reverential, but none the less heart-felt and sincere.

James H. Pulliam and Benj. F. Fletcher, whose histories may be found in this book, were in the prison at the time, and testify to the truthfulness of the above statement. Mr. Samuel Lewis, of Auburn, was not there at the time, but saw the spring afterwards.

MARY L., born March 30, 1842, in Sangamon county, married Samuel Reaton. They have three children, IDA, JAMES E. and FRANK, and reside near Fountain, Colorado.

ARTHALINDA, born Sept. 2, 1844, in Sangamon county, married Jan. 7, 1859, to Alexander Shoup. See his name.

Mrs. Rachel Bell died Dec. 15, 1852, in Sangamon county, and Zebulon Bell moved west in 1859, and resides with his children, near Fountain, El Paso county, Colorado.